MY SONG REVIEWS # 4 Self Esteem Songs

You’ve Got A Life To Live

“Gonowhere” by Brendan Benson

from the album:

Find it here:

A lot of people don’t know who Brendan Benson is. If it helps he’s the lead singer for the band The Raconteurs with Jack White. I like the Raconteurs a lot and I wanted to find out more about the singer so I started to listen to his solo albums, and he’s really good! I especially like the album “My Old, Familiar Friend”, it has a lot of good stuff on it. The stand out song for me is “Gonowhere”. It’s a laid back, sunny song talking about not giving up. The lyrics are really uplifting, and make you feel like you feel like you can take on the world. The main message I like from this song is that you are in control of your own life,”you could have it all!”

Go On And Get It Over With Then…

Frank Zappa’s “Suicide Chump”

Now this song is quite a bit different than the previous song. Like many other Frank Zappa songs this song caused some controversy, which is understandable. But Frank Zappa makes a very sarcastic point. This song, in his own words, “.. is a song about people who pretend to kill themselves…<the kind> of person that calls you up at five o’clock in the morning to tell you how many pills they took, or what they shot or what ever they did, and they just want some attention…” his advice to those people is to, “get it over with and don’t wake people up in the middle of the night to pretend like you’re gonna kill yourself…”

Pretty harsh, I know, but some people need to knock it off and live their lives! We all have problems, shut-up and live your life, we live in a very blessed country with tons of opportunity. If you hate it and don’t want it, “go on and get it over with then…” Honestly I’m not condoning suicide, I’m telling you if it sucks that bad, change it, move away, quit your job. What’s the worst that could happen? Death? You don’t seem to be afraid of death, what other result could possibly be worse?

Feel Your Life Begin

George Harrison’s “Rising Sun”

from the fantastic album:

find it here:

George Harrison is one of my all-time favorite musicians. With his his weeping slide guitar solos and deep lyrics, he is also great at writing song’s about the sun rising (and one about the moon too). “Rising Sun” is from George’s final album “Brainwashed”. I love this album, there is something so serene and comforting about his perspective. He was dying while wrote and recorded this album, in fact he died before it was fully completed. I’m sure had some pretty intense days dying from cancer, but he was able to produce an album with humor and positivity. I love every song on this album, and “Rising Sun” is no exception. This song is all about perspective, from someone who’s looking at life through a dying man’s eyes. He sounds truly grateful for each sunrise, each new day. He acknowledges that we all have our weaknesses, but “in the rising sun, you can feel your life begin.” We just need to remember that even in the darkest times, we still have the rest of our lives ahead of us. As an added bonus, the slide guitar solo is fantastic!

You Don’t Even Know What You Had ‘Til It Laughs In Your Face

“This One’s For Me” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

from the album:

find it here:

This song may sound a little selfish. And I guess it is, but sometimes there is nothing wrong with being a little bit selfish. It’s such a classic blues song, it has all the right elements, the singer has lost it all and he just wants a little something for himself. Too many people spend their entire lives trying to please everyone else, and inevitably they lose their minds. You can’t solve all the world’s problems, take the time to enjoy your own life. “…You don’t even know what you’ve got ’till it’s walking away…”